Portable cropping machine for tree-fruits



April 1957 L. w. CRUMP PORTABLE CROPPING MACHINE FOR TREE-FRUITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1955 INVENTOR l0*1.5' (220M BY M 7% ATTORNEYS P 1957 L. w. CRUMP PORTABLE CROPPING MACHINE FOR TREE-FRUITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23, 1955 NvY INVENT OR 016 M (Fez/MP BY *JW ATTORNEY-S United. States. Patent PQRTABLE'CROPPING MACHINE FOR" TREE-FRUITS 1 Luis W. Cramp, Bogota, Colombia Application November 23, 19,55, serialNo. 548,658:

4 Claims. (Cl...56.-.?..3.0)

Another object of this invention -is;,;to;providea small.

portable electric generating ;plant of variahlepower output, aportable electric;motor driven vacuum pump; ca-v pable of producing a. vacuum:- up to: one atmosphere: ut of variable capacity; and the; vacuum; collecting: or. barvestingdevice; proper. comprising ;a: collecting; tank; which can be attached to the shoulders of ,the workenby-means; of.

straps, and a suctionfruit'pickingtuhe:or. nozzle;

A further objectofthis invention iSalIO provide a vacu m coffee berry'picker inwhich the; degree-of: suction cansbes adjusted to selectively pick-ripe:-berries:=

Although the following description and the drawings relate to'a device for picking-cofiee'berries it i'sto be understood that theinvention can be applied: to the picking of any other fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, figsby merely varying the size and'dimensionsof thesuction nozzle to adapt it to the size of the fruits to he. picked without exceeding the scope of'the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the collecting chamber;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal axial sectional view of the suction tube nozzle for picking the fruit;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the complete machine and equipment.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a collecting tank 1. This tank is of closed construction but has an air discharge tube or nipple 2 to which a suction hose is connected and an intake tube or nipple 3 to which a fruit picking hose is connected. The bottom of tank 1 is in the form of a hopper 4 having a discharge fitting 5 at its lower end provided with pins or other attaching means 6 for the attachment of a bag 7 or other suitable receptacle.

As shown the bag or receptacle is secured to a tubular collar 8 having bayonet slots 9 provided therein adapted to cooperate with pins 6 to enable the collar 8 to be detachably secured to the fitting 5. In place of the receptacle 7 and the collar 8, an ordinary bag or sack can be merely hung on the pins 6 which are in the form of hooks.

The upper portion of the fitting 5 is provided with a closure 10 mounted to swing about a hinge 11 between closed and opened positions. A spring 12 is associated with closure 10 urging it to a closed position.

Tank or container 1 is divided into a lower compartment13- and. an uppercompartment 14. by. a: hopper-like partition ISJ'theedges of-which aretightlysecured tothe side twallszof; tank 1. The top, of the tank is similarlysecured to the side walls of the tank 1. Astshown-thehopper-.like partition 15;, has anqopening in: its lower central portion which is closed by a closure. member 16hinged about:a;horizontal'axis 17. CIOSHIBE lots-provided with a rear extension 18 which is connectediby atension spring 19. to an adjustablerodz20. axially slidable .iIl131SOCk6i .21 extending through .and;fixed to thewall of' hopper 4 as shown. The outeryend;of:rodg20 is threadedto-receive a-knurled nut'22 by means ofwhichthe rod 20 maybe axially. shiftedto vary the tension; of; spring- 19.

A bafile 23 depends from thesatop of: the tank 1. and extends; across: the; tank: to: intercept: any I cofiee; berries entrainediin the currentiofgair; drawn throughthe tank: 1;

Upon; impinging the baflle; 23 the; berries or other; fruit will drop: onto-the; partition; and move. towards;the. center.

thereof: onto: the closure member or.valve 16'. Thetanlc 1, partition 15, baffle 23 and closuresor valves 10 andl16 may be constructed ofgmetal, plastic or'other suitable material.

As best-shown in Fig. 4.-the tank 1; is connected by a hose24of: asuitableplengthto the intake, ofga vacuum pump. 25 which is driventbysanelectric motor 26. The pump may be. of; the. type having an. eccentric; rotor with radially slidingiblades. or ofany other suitable type. Pump 25: and its driving motor: 26 are-mounted on a-portable support 27 'provided-gwitha carrying nember. 28;

Theelectric' motor 26. l may be; connected by means: ofsuitablefiexible. conductor housed; in;the motor cordix29. to any suitable: supply; of. electric. current. When the apparatus is; employed in locations where; electric 1 current is not available: a portable engine-drivcngeneratorSOmay be employed. and. mounted on a suitable conveyances. 31 whereby it can bev moved: about.

Again referring: to: Fig. 4' it'will be notedjthat the-in-. take nipple3 of 'tank 1 isconnected by-a flexible. hosez32l to a collectingnozzle 33. As best shown inFig; 3 nozzle 33xcomprises. a tube34 formed atone end as aznipple 3.5:

toreceive hose 32; Tube;3.4.is,curved.adjacent-itszothen end and at the extremity of this end'is externally threaded to receive abushing:v 36 which is externally threaded to; receive-an .annulanfl'anged retainingmember '37. Betweenv the :flange.of:member 3.7 andithe bushing 36 is. positioned a; disc- 38E having; a: central: opening; 39; therein. The; re:- movable flanged member 37 enables the disc 38 to be easily replaced by another disc having an opening therein of different size.

A sleeve 40 is rotatably mounted on tube 34 between two collars 41 and 42 fixed to the tube. Sleeve 46 and tube 34 are each provided with openings 43 and 44 which may be brought into and out of register to vary the amount of air drawn through the same and thereby vary the degree of suction at the orifice 39 of disc 38, the more air drawn through openings 43 and 44 the less will be drawn through aperture 39 This is of particular importance in that by proper regulation of the sleeve 4!) ripe collee berries can be picked whereas green berries will not be sucked into the nozzle, the adherence of green berries to the stems of the plant being greater than the adherence of ripe berries. Tube 34 and sleeve 40 may be constructed of metal or other suitable material.

As coffee berries or other fruit to be picked are drawn into the nozzle 33 and entrained by the air passing through the nozzle and tube 32 they are discharged into the tank 1 where they strike baifie 23 and fall into the hopper provided by partition 15.

When the weight of the coffee berries or other fruit reaches a predetermined value in the compartment 14, the valve or closure 16 opens against the suction effect and the effect of spring 19 urging the valve 16 closed, and drops the berries into the lower compartment 13, where they collect in hopper 4. Following discharge from compartment 14 the valve 16 is closed by spring 19. After valve or closure 16 is closed then valve or closure 10 can Open and the picked fruit can drop through fitting 5 into bag 7. When bag 7 is full it may be removed and replaced by a new bag.

In some instances it may be desired to provide openings 45 in the wall of compartment 13 so that this compartment is vented to the atmosphere to prevent creation of a vacuum in this compartment.

As indicated in Fig. 4 the tank 1 with attached bag 7 may be provided with shoulder straps 46 to enable the device to be carried on the back of a picker.

The nozzle or at least a portion thereof may be made of transparent material to enable the operator to see what is passed into the nozzle.

While a single tank 1 has been shown connected to the vacuum pump it is contemplated to provide for the connection of a plurality of tanks 1 with associated gathering nozzles to a single source of vacuum, or a plurality of tanks 1 with associated nozzles and vacuum pumps to a single source of electric power.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an apparatus for picking coffee berries and other fruit having a vacuum pump, means for driving said vacuum pump, transmission means interconnecting the pump and driving means, a nozzle adapted to be placed in contact with the fruit to be picked, flexible conduit means connecting said nozzle to the vacuum pump, a collecting tank interposed in the flexible conduit between the nozzle and said vacuum pump, the improvement in which the suction nozzle comprising a tube formed at one end as a nipple to receive said flexible conduit means, said tube being curved adjacent its other end, said other end having its external surface threaded, an internally and externally threaded bushing threadedly mounted on the threaded end of the tube, an annular flanged retaining member internally threaded and removably threadedly mounted on the bushing, a disc having a central opening therein, said disc being positioned between the flange of said retaining member and said bushing, said removable flanged member enabling said disc to be easily replaced by another disc having an opening therein of different size, two collars fixed on the outer surface of the tube, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said tube between said collars, said sleeve and tube being provided with openings which may be brought into and out of register to vary the amount of air drawn through the same and thereby vary the degree of suction at the central opening of said disc, said tube and sleeve being constructed of a suitably hard and resistant material.

2. A suction nozzle as claimed in claim 1, in which the material of which said tube and sleeve are made is a transparent material which enables the operator to see what is passed into the nozzle.

3. In an apparatus for picking coffee berries and other fruit having a vacuum pump, means for driving said vacuum pump, transmission means interconnecting the pump and driving means, a nozzle adapted to be placed in contact with the fruit to be picked, flexible conduit means connecting said nozzle to the vacuum pump, a collecting tank interposed in the flexible conduit between the nozzle and said vacuum pump, theimprovement in which the collecting tank comprises a vessel having an upper wall, side walls and a bottom having a discharge V fitting, a hopper-like partition dividing the tank into upper and lower compartments, and provided at its bottom with an opening at the central portion thereof for discharge of fruit from the upper into the lower compartments, a closure member hingedly mounted on the partition for closing said discharge opening, a spring connected to said closure urging the same to closed position, a bathe in said vessel extending downwardly from the upper Wall thereof between Opposite side walls of the vessel to a position above the partition, and a nipple in each of said opposite side walls at a position between the upper wall and the lower end of the baflle for connecting portions of the flexible conduit means to the tank.

4. A collecting tank as claimed in claim 3, in which the closure member is hinged about a horizontal axis and is provided with a rear extension, a tension spring connected at one end to the extension and at its other end to an adjustable rod axially slidable in a fixed socket, the outer surface of the other end of said rod being threaded to be engaged in said fixed socket, said lower end of the rod being provided with a knurled nut externally attached thereto by means of said said rod may be axially adjusted to vary the tension of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 851,475 Albert Apr. 23, 1907 1,139,492 Creekmore May 18, 1915 1,305,960 Boig June 3, 1919 1,335,035 Taylor Mar. 30, 1920 2,471,326 Hoyt May 24, 1949 

